4 Signs That Your Business Website Needs a Change

A website is a vital part of the success of your small business, so keeping it fresh and appealing is essential for online sales

As a business owner, you should always be looking for ways make your company more efficient — and a big part of that is staying on top of what’s working and what isn’t. We’re in the midst of the digital era and, in the business world, a website has become the most valuable tool for marketing and sales.

Of course, this means that a site that’s not providing you with the necessary results needs to change. Take a look the four telltale signs that the website of your business is in dire need of improvement.

1. High bounce rate

Your site’s bounce rate is the percentage of people who leave your website after only looking at one page. A high bounce rate is bad for business because it means that your audience isn’t taking the time to look at the awesome website you’ve spent hours designing. Even more importantly, it means they aren’t purchasing your product or service.

This is the same as a customer walking into a shop, having a look around and instantly thinking “nope, this isn’t for me, let’s bounce”. Something on your landing page is putting them off. It could be the design, the way it functions, or even the way your copy is written.

If your web hosting is performing poorly and causing your site to be slow, your visitors certainly won’t be sticking around for long. With modern tech becoming more and more efficient it means that people expect quick and hassle-free experience, meaning that the amount of time people are willing to wait is much less.

Website hosting is an essential part of any successful site, so making sure your service is up to scratch will prove to be vital.

2. A Dated design

Trends come and go and, with the constant evolution of modern technology, trends change quicker than ever before. This means that a website design you may have thought looked creative and unique a few years ago, now looks dated and boring to your target audience.

This isn’t to say that you should be changing the look of your website every five minutes, but keeping an eye on current design trends and other brands will go a long way to keeping your audience engaged. Although looks aren’t everything, a site that looks great will gain enough attention to let our site’s content do the talking.

3. Low traffic

If your site’s traffic is a lot lower than in previous months, this is a clear sign that something is up. If you haven’t updated the content of your site in a while, or aren’t producing content that’s high quality and relevant to your target audience, then you’re giving them little reason to visit your site.

Another potential cause could be performance issues. If your site is slow and takes ages to load up pages, people won’t be waiting around. This is something your web hosting provider can help with; you may want to upgrade your current website hosting service if your site continues to have problems.

One issue that can have an adverse effect on traffic is poor Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). The content issues already mentioned above will contribute towards SEO problems, and also a poorly optimised website will hinder your chances of online success. If you’re unsure how to approach this, a digital marketing company would be your best bet. You’ll get a stellar service and have the peace of mind knowing that it’s done right.

4. Your competitors are killing It

If your competition seems to be having a whale of a time in regards to sales and exposure, you should always take note. There’s nothing wrong with checking out what they’re up to; a bit of spying will prove to be very handy.

If much of their success is from their site, this means they probably have an excellent website, first and foremost. But it also means that it’s more appealing to your audience than your site is — and therefore changes need to be made.

This doesn’t necessarily mean the design of your site, but you need to give your target audience a reason to jump ship from the competition. This can come in the form of some engaging content, or as Christmas is right around the corner, a competition is always a great incentive.

The introduction of the internet has had a tremendous effect on the business world. With every field now so much more competitive, a website needs to be of the highest quality to succeed. If you have begun to notice these signs that it’s time to re-evaluate your current site, don’t hesitate to do so. The benefits of acting quickly and staying on top your business website can make a positive impact on every aspect of your company.

Chris Danks has over fifteen years of experience in the hosting industry. He’s the owner and director of Cyber Host Pro, which provides businesses all over the world with a wide range of web hosting solutions.

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